


Fire Within

by saebaeran



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Pre-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 09:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15794109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saebaeran/pseuds/saebaeran
Summary: A few decades after Avatar Wan’s demise the world is thrown into chaos. Driven by fear of the unknown, people struggle to accept the new powers bestowed to some of them, so they chase the different away, dooming them to a life on the run. As the balance in society shifts toward the supporters of the old ways, Anna sets out on a journey to find her parents - firebenders kidnapped by the members of a widespread cult. In her most dire moment, an unknown man gives her a helping hand.





	Fire Within

“Daddy, look!” Anna tugged at her father’s robe and motioned to the gathering crowd at the other end of the port.

  
The man took his eyes off the fruit in his hand and followed his daughter’s gaze. People were flocking to one of the stands there like ants crawling toward spilled sugar, eager to feed on the sweet substance. Only this time, the sweet substance was in the form of a man and a woman from the Water Tribe, their heavy, hooded coats lined with soft fur a telltale sign that they were foreigners.

  
“Heh,” the fruit seller scoffed, reminding the pair of his presence. “Benders.”

  
The last word was pronounced with underlying hate that made Anna’s eyes widen in surprise. For a girl so little the concept of hatred was yet unknown. Yes, she didn’t particularly enjoy the excessive amount of vegetables her mother wanted her to eat, and she was not fond of scary stories before bed, but the inherent human nature to resent lied hidden behind a door in the girl’s mind.

  
Her father knew better.

  
He eyed the fruit seller and bowed his head politely.

  
“Thank you, sir,“ his mouth curved into a forced fake smile. “I just remembered I forgot my money at home. “

  
The seller grunted in response and waved dismissively at the pair. No money, no business. If only they hadn’t wasted his time, he could have stowed his goods and joined the fun.

  
Perhaps it was not too late.

  
The ever-growing crowd jeered loudly, then pressed against their victims. Anna’s father felt a chill run down his spine and froze in his place. Those were, indeed, benders. There was no doubt about that. Nothing in this world could make so many people unleash their inner demons other than the tempting sight of weakness lying bare in the sun, waiting to be trampled on. His blood boiled in his veins and he caught his breath. These people hadn’t done anything wrong, yet they were treated as criminals, pushed and pulled by the angry crowd. His feet started moving on their own.

  
_Not today._

  
A soft squeeze of his hand made him snap back. He looked down at his daughter, worry written all over her innocent face. Her amber eyes held selflessness and eagerness to help, but he also recognized the underlying fear hidden behind quiet bravery. Her chest rose and fell in an irregular rhythm, her breath coming out in short puffs.

  
_She wanted to help._

  
What kind of father would he be if he jumped right into the middle of that crowd, leaving his girl alone, unprotected? What kind of person would he be if he left the innocent at the unforgiving hands of the unfair? Questions without answers swirled around in his head, making it spin to the rhythm they had set.

  
Releasing his breath in a long sigh, he squeezed Anna’s hand back. “Let’s go home, baby girl.”

  
Anna’s face fell. She didn’t like feeling like this. She wanted to do something, but she didn’t know what. Her father tugged gently at her hand and turned away from the crowd.

  
“No!” Anna shouted, effectively drawing her father’s attention back to her. “What are they going to do to these people?” The girl looked towards the crowd, her small hand shaking in her father’s much bigger one. “I’m scared, daddy. Can’t we take them back home with us? I’ll help mama with cooking, I promise. Then I can play with the kids. They must be so scared right now, surrounded by people they don’t know.”

  
_Kids?_

  
Anna’s father froze again. _He hadn’t seen the kids._ His jaw clenched.

  
_What kind of people would cause this much trouble to a family with little children?_

  
He squinted into the distance, searching for the silhouettes of the children his daughter had seen, but unable to make out anything other than the formless smudge that was the crowd.

  
“Don’t let go of my hand, okay, Anna?” She nodded.

  
Slowly, he stepped towards the crowd, his eyes searching for the Water Tribe people. His daughter held his hand tightly, giving him the reassurance he needed to keep pressing forward. But the closer he came to the crowd, the sicker he felt.

  
The crowd’s jeering was nothing short of ecstatic, maniacal even. Men and women alike were pointing at the Water Tribe family, laughing at them, cursing their ability to bend an element. Was it out of envy? Was it just because they wanted to feel better about themselves, trapped away on an island that had nothing to offer but an endless stream of chores and a barren land? Or perhaps it was a bit of both?

  
“Aye, you here to take a look at ‘em benders?” An elderly man sneered at Anna’s father. “Wait fo’ your turn, matey!” His words turned into sinister laughter that promised nothing but trouble. Not that it mattered. With his daughter’s small hand in his, there was no way he’d get into a fight. Not unless he had to fight for _her._

  
Biting her lips, Anna kept looking around, anxiously waiting to see the Water Tribe children again. They were boys, perhaps her age, their red hair a stark contrast to the oversized blue coats that they were wearing. She had never seen anyone with red hair before. The people she knew all had the same shades of black and brown hair that she had come to find unimpressive. The boys were holding hands, she had noticed earlier, perhaps in fear of the people that had gathered around them.

  
Anna knew that feeling – the feeling of being trapped. She couldn’t fully understand it yet, but she was able to make sense of it for the most part. It made her heart race and her body freeze into a defensive position. It mostly manifested when other kids invaded her personal space, eager to play with her, but deep down she felt it was much more than that.

  
That’s why she wanted to get to the boys.

  
She imagined herself lifting her arms up in the air and with a swift motion, parting the crowd as if with magical powers. For a moment, she considered actually doing it, but the thought of letting go of her father’s hand scared her. Maybe she could ask him to do it?

  
Suddenly, the people right in front of Anna parted and she saw the boys, fear etched on their faces, threatening to scar them for life. One of them was holding the other, trying to simultaneously protect him and draw strength from his presence. Their amber eyes shone like golden suns, but made Anna feel like it’s a rainy day. Tears pricked her eyes, so she bit her lips in an attempt to distract herself from the thought of crying.

  
In a moment of bravery, Anna pushed forward, her free hand reaching toward the boys. One of them caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned toward her. His lower lip trembled as he hesitated to take it. Eyes locked on the little girl, he finally decided to act on his instinct and grab her hand.  
The crowd moved and Anna felt an overwhelming force pull her back. She tried screaming, but no sound came out of her mouth. She tried holding on to the boy’s hand, but it kept slipping out of hers. As the crowd around her became a black blur, she kept her gaze onto the golden eyes that were begging her not to let go.

  
_But she did._

* * *

 

With a scream, Anna woke up.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ^^  
> You can also find me on Tumblr - https://sae-bae-ran.tumblr.com/


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